August 1, 1913.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



561 



RUBBER AT THE GHENT EXHIBITION. 



IT will be recalled that a "Universal Exhibition" is now open 

 •^ at Ghent, with the object of concentrating displays of 

 Belgian and other products. A prominent section is the 

 "Colonial Exhibition," representing the varied exports of the 

 Belgian colonies. Of these rubber forms one of the most 

 salient features, coming under the heading of "Colonial 

 Cultures." 



The arrangements of the rubber section have been under 

 the skilled direction of the "Association des Planteurs de 

 Caoutchouc" or "Rubber Planters Association," the head- 

 quarters of which are in Antwerp, and which has been one 

 of the most important factors in the development of rubber 

 cultivation by the aid of Belgian capital. 



At the head of the Committee of Patronage is M. Jules 

 Renkin, the Belgian Colonial iMinister, the other members 

 of the committee being leading government officials. The 



Lor iiF KrisBKK E.xhibiteo bv the Sucikte 



FlN.^NCIERE DES C.^OUTCHOUCS. 



corresponding technical members of this committee inclnde 

 M. Auguste Chevalier, of Paris. Professor D. O. Warburg, 

 of Berlin, and Professor W. Dunstan, Director of the Im- 

 perial Institute, London. 



In addition to the Committee of Patronage, there is a 

 working committee, under the presidency of M. Ed. Bunge, 

 of .\ntwerp. ])resident of the Federated Malay States Rubber 

 Co., Limited. Among the vice-presidents are MM. Paul 

 Osterrieth and Emil Grisar, of Antwerp; while the body of 

 the committee includes Dr. E. de Wildeniann, of Brussels ; 

 MM. Alfred Grisar and Leon Osterrieth, of Antwerp; Dr. 

 W. R. Tromp de Haas, of Java, and Mr. Herbert Wright, of 

 London. 



The Editorial Committee numbers among its members M. 

 Emil Grisar, of .\ntwerp, and Dr. E. de Wildeniann. of 

 Brussels, the secretary being M. Jules Tilmant, of .\ntwerp. 



The subject of "Colonial Cultures" has received full atten- 

 tion from these prominent technical and commercial authori- 

 ties on rubber. It had been confided to them by the Belgian 



Colonial Minister, with the co-operation of M. E. Leplae, 

 director general of agriculture for the .African colonies of 

 Belgium. The actual carrying out of the preparatory ar- 

 rangements was undertaken by a special committee, which 

 included M. Robert de Decker, M. R. Ehrhardt and M. Leon 

 Osterrieth. The services of the last named gentleman largely 

 contributed to the successful display made by the association 

 at London in 1911. 



The May and June issues of the "Bulletin" of the associa- 

 tion deal with the general features of the exhibition. These 

 include the compilation of a "History of Rulibcr," in which 

 its later developments are touched upon, in addition to its 

 earlier features. Tapping and coagulation are then dealt with, 

 as well as rubber in its finished condition. The various 

 subjects are illustrated by specimens and photographs 

 grouped in the various sections of the "Rubber Museum," 

 which constitutes a leading feature of the exhibition. A neat 

 folder accompanies the May issue of the "Bulletin," with 

 several cuts illustrating, amongst other subjects, "Clearing 

 on a Katanga farm," and "Rubber plants from Elizabethville 

 (Katanga)." 



While the subject of rubber cultivation is thus fully repre- 

 sented by the exhibits, special interest attaches to those deal- 

 ing with rubber in its complete form. The Societe Financiere 

 des Caoutchoucs has an effective display of the grades 

 made by the companies it controls. One lot of exhibits is 

 reproduced by annexed illustration. .'\n interesting feature 

 is a collective display of the various grades of rubber handled 

 on the market of .Kntwerp. 



With over 1,000 exhibits, it cannot be questioned that the 

 rubber section at Ghent has done full justice to the subjects 

 with which it has been called on to deal. 



That the organizers of the exhibition appreciate the im- 

 portance of the subjects handled may be seen by the sub- 

 joined extract from the "History of Rubber," already re- 

 ferred to. 



"Modern life without rubber cannot be imagined. It is 

 the necessary associate of copper in all the electrical in- 

 dustries—telegraphs—telephones—lighting. Rubber is the 

 creator of the cycle and of the automobile, for which it is 

 indispensable. . . . The astonished mind asks — not what 

 rubber is used for, but rather, what are the purposes for 

 which it i- ni)t employed?' 



COLONIAL CONGEESS AT GHENT. 



The program has been issued of an International Colonial 

 Congress to be held from August 24 to 28 at the Ghent Universal 

 Exhibition. Among the papers to be read are the following: 



Regulations to be applied to vines. Dr. E. de Wildeniann, 

 of Brussels. 



The cultivation of rubber in the Belgian Congo. M. Gisseleire, 

 Minister of the Belgian Colonies. 



RUBBER EXPORTS FROM THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 



.'\ccording to information cabled by the Federated Malay States 

 Government to the Malay States Information Agency, the ex- 

 ports of plantation rubber from the Federated Malay States 

 for the month of June amounted to 4,491,200 pounds, as com- 

 pared with 2,744,000 pounds in May, making the total for the 

 six months of the present year 23,492,129 pounds, as compared 

 with 15,382,265 pounds last year. 



.Appended are the comparative statistics for 1911 and 1912: 



1911. 1912. 1913. 



January poniids 1,329,170 2,730,576 4,787.280 



February 1,490,849 2,715,767 3.936.529 



March 1,916,219 3.089.583 3,890,880 



April 1.235,917 2.285,390 3,642.240 



May 1,147,488 2,255,034 2,744.000 



June 1,229,754 2.305,915 4.491.200 



Total 8,349.397 15.382,265 23,492,129 



